A Minimum Wage Wake-Up Call for California

On July 1st, California’s minimum wage rose to $9 an hour, the first stage of a two-part increase to $10. Elsewhere, localities in the state have their sights set even higher, topping out with a $15 ballot proposal in San Francisco. These wage hikes couldn’t come at a worse time for the state. A recent EPI analysis of Census Bureau data found that California is home to four of the five worst metro areas in the country for youth unemployment.

As a Golden State reminder that wage hikes have consequences, EPI is launching two billboards this month — one in Hollywood on the Sunset Strip, and the other in the heart of San Francisco — to demonstrate the connection between a higher minimum wage and lost jobs. Find out more at BadIdeaCA.com